Feds Have Paid Nearly $580K In Employee COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Settlements

A nurse prepares a COVID-19 vaccine in Toronto on March 23, 2021. (Cole Burston/Getty Images)

The federal government has paid nearly $580,000 to a total of at least 30 federal government employees in settlements relating to their decision not to take the COVID-19 vaccine when it was mandated by the government.

The figures come in response to an Inquiry of Ministry filed by Conservative MP Ted Falk, who asked the various government ministries how much they had paid out to federal employees, including payments to lawyers and mediators.

Health Canada paid the largest amount, a total of $187,990.77 to 11 different employees, all of which were for reimbursement of salary lost while on administrative leave without pay, and all were negotiated settlements. The Public Health Agency of Canada, which was listed separately, paid $21,877 to one employee for salary reimbursement for being put on leave without pay.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, including the Canadian Coast Guard, paid out $115,876 to four employees. Three of the payments were reimbursements of salary, while the fourth, a sum of $7,500, is listed simply as “damages.”

Global Affairs Canada paid four employees a total of $88,223.41 for repayment of salary for the period employees were on leave for noncompliance with the vaccination policy, while the Correctional Service of Canada paid three employees $65,693.74 overall, with $8,028.97 of that amount listed as “legal proceeding - grievance” and the remaining as a negotiated settlement.

National Defence paid out just $15,982 overall but all three employees were paid negotiated settlements based on “damages under the Canadian Human Rights Act on grounds of discrimination based on religion.”

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The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) lists religious belief as a valid exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine saying, “In accordance with CAF policies, exemptions for medical and religious beliefs, or any other prohibited grounds of discrimination as defined in the Canadian Human Rights Act, to COVID-19 vaccination are recognized.”

Public servant Bernard Desgagné, who has been representing 65 federal employees impacted by the government’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates, questioned the figures released by the government.

Being privy to some of the settlements, Mr. Desgagné told The Epoch Times via email on April 16 that the information is either “false or incomplete,” but said he cannot go into further details due to confidentiality.

Other Settlements

The federal settlements come after the Crown corporation-owned courier company Purolator was also ordered by courts last December to compensate employees who were terminated after not receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

In the case of Via Rail, another Crown corporation, an arbitrator ruled last year that the company had violated the Canadian Labour Code when it fired a locomotive engineer for refusing to take the COVID-19 shot, although the ruling did not order the company to compensate the engineer.

A military administrative tribunal also found last year that vaccine mandates imposed on the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) violated the charter rights of soldiers who refused the vaccine last year in May.

Over 300 CAF members filed a $500 million lawsuit over the issue in June 2023, arguing that the vaccine had been “rushed and untested” and alleged the CAF made “false statements of safety and efficacy” while demanding members take the vaccine or face permanent removal from the service.